Sachin Sharma v Insurance Australia Limited trading as NRMA Insurance [2017] NSWDC 10

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sachin Sharma v Insurance Australia Limited trading as NRMA Insurance [2017] NSWDC 10 Hearing dates: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 September 2016 Date of orders: 03 February 2017 Decision date: 03 February 2017 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Montgomery DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the defendant (2) Plaintiff to pay the defendant's costs Catchwords: Insurance – landlord and tenant cover – construction of contract – exclusion clause – fraud – arson – circumstantial evidence – inference – evidence of mobile phone account records – whether damage arising from intentional act or omission of insured or by third party with insured's consent – s 56 Insurance Contracts Act – whether claim made fraudulently Legislation Cited: Insurance Contracts Act (1984) (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 Cases Cited: McLennan v Insurance Australia Ltd [2014] NSWCA 300; (2014) 313 ALR 173; (2014) FLR 453 McCann v Switzerland Insurance Australia Ltd. [2000] HCA 65; (2000) 203 CLR 579 CGU Insurance Ltd. v Porthouse [2008] HCA 30; (2008) 235 CLR 103 Darlington Futures Ltd. v Delco Australia Pty. Ltd. [1986] HCA 82; (1986) 161 CLR 500 Secure Funding Pty Ltd v Insurance Australia Ltd [2010] FCA 1094 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Perpetual Trustees Victoria Limited v Cox [2014] NSWCA 328 Bradshaw v McEwans Pty Ltd (1951) 217 ALR 1 Mutual Community General Insurance Pty Ltd v Khatchmanian (2013) 17 ANZ Insurance Cases 61-974; [2013] VSCA 144 Gould & Birbeck & Bacon v Mount Oxide Mines Limited (in liquidation) [1916] 22 CLR 490 Banque Commerciale S.A. (en liquidation) v Akhil Holdings Limited [1990] HCA 11; (1990) 169 CLR 279 Insurance Commissioner v Joyce (1948) 77 CLR 39; [1948] HCA 17 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Payne v Parker [1976] 1 NSWLR 191 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Limited [2011] HCA 11; (2011) 243 CLR 361 Luxton v Vines (1952) 85 CLR 352 Holloway v McFeeters (1956) 94 CLR 470 Qantas Airways Limited v SS Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Unreported, New South Wales Court of Appeal, 20 July 1990; reported sub nom in SS Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. v Qantas Airways Limited (1991) 1 Lloyds Rep 288 Tobin v Ezekiel [2012] NSWCA 285; (2012) 83 NSWLR 757 Manly Council v Byrne [2004] NSWCA 123 Walton v Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd. [2004] NSWSC 616; (2004) 13 ANZ Ins. Cas. 61-620 Sgro v Australian Associated Motor Insurers Ltd. [2015] NSWCA 262; (2015) 299 FLR 92; (2015) 72 MVR 320 Raso v NRMA (Unreported, 14 December 1992, New South Wales Court of Appeal) Kenwright v IAL [2013] NSWDC 255 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Allied Pastoral Holdings Pty. Ltd. v Commissioner of Taxation [1983] 1 NSWLR 1; (1983) 44 ALR 607 Texts Cited: Kelly & Ball, "Principles of Insurance Law" Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sachin Sharma (Plaintiff) Insurance Australia Limited trading as NRMA Insurance (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: R Potter / D Woods (Plaintiff) M B J Lee SC / B Tronson (Defendant)